This application is related to Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 159,435 filed on July 13, 1980 assigned to Nippondenso Co., Ltd., now U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,333.
This invention relates generally to ignition timing control in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle or the like, and more particularly the present invention relates to method and apparatus for controlling ignition timing so that ignition timing is optimum to obtain the highest engine output and to result in minimum fuel consumption.
In an internal combustion engine, the ignition timing is generally determined so that engine output is maximum and fuel consumption is minimum from engine parameters such as engine rotational speed and intake pressure or intake airflow. However, an ignition timing determined in this way is not necessarily ideal because of variations existing from the time of manufacturing or caused by secular change or climate change. Therefore, when a given ignition timing is set, the resultant engine output sometimes cannot be high enough as expected when ideal or optimum ignition timing is set.